Children’s Day: Transport Women Demand Release Of Chibok Girls

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

…UNICEF Seeks Collective Responsibility In Protection Of Children

Kayoed Adelowokan

The women wing of the International Transport Worker Federation (ITWF) on Tuesday called on Nigerian government to speed up action to bring back the abducted school girls in Chibok, Borno State.

Members of the International Transport Worker Federation (ITWF) on Tuesday

The Nigerian children are expected to join their counterpart in the world to celebrate this year’s children day but the parents said their wards have refused to celebrate as the Chibok school girls are still suffering in the hands of their abductors.

Speaking with our correspondent after the union’s monthly meeting in Ikeja, Lagos State, the Chairperson of the Nigerian chapter of ITWF, Mrs. Sadiq Adeola, said that the girls have suffered enough in the hand of the Boko Haram sect, adding that the group ought not to involve children in whatever grievance it might be having against whomever.

“As transport women in Nigeria, we decided to come out today to show our solidarity in crying out for the release of the school girls who are still suffering in the hands of their abductor, Boko Haram.

“Today being the children’s day, as a mother, I put it to myself that if I have one of those children, what will I be doing now? Meanwhile, there are parents who have more than one among the kidnapped girls and for you not to see your child for a day, it is a bad thing. As a mother, I felt bad with this situation.

“It is high time these girls are release so that they can come back home and reunited with their parents, friends, school, etc. They are just kids who know nothing, for God sake, they should release these girls.”

Also, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for collective responsibility in the protection of children.

Speaking on the back of the insecurity in the northern part of Nigeria, UNICEF representative in the country, Jean Gough, says the fear of abduction would erode all the gains made in girls’ education.

She urged everyone to work together to ensure that all children, no matter where they reside, are protected so they can grow into productive adults who will contribute to the country’s future development.

The usual celebrations would be low key in many parts of the country especially in the North East in solidarity with the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped from Borno State in April.

Children’s Day is recognized on various days in many places around the world, to honor children globally. It was first proclaimed by the World Conference for the Well-being of Children in 1925 and then established universally in 1954 to protect an “appropriate” day.

The officially recognized date of Children’s Day varies from country to country.